Mounting device for a boat sail



g- 29, 1967 P. J. BARRETT MOUNTING DEVICE FOR A BOAT SAIL Filed Sept. 6,1966 INVENTOR. P5752 (IE/912E577 BY I fl M W flrrae/vsxs United StatesPatent Ofi "ice 3,338,204 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 3,338,204 MOUNTINGDEVICE FOR A BOAT SAIL Peter J. Barrett, Newport Beach, Calif. (913Electric Ave., Seal Beach, Calif. 90740) Filed Sept. 6, 1966, Ser. No.577,310 3 Claims. (Cl. 114108) The present invention relates generallyto the art of boating and more particularly to a new and novel mountingdevice for removably attaching an extremity of a sail to the end of aspar.

Many smaller sailboats utilize a sail having a sleeve formed along itsfront edge, with such sleeve being telescopically received by a mast toremovably secure the sail to such mast. With this arrangement the upperend of the sail sleeve tends to become Worn due to its abutment with thetop of the mast. Additionally, the upper portion of the sail is providedwith a rigid head board that is integral with the sail but independentof the mast. Such headboard tends to tilt relative to the mast wherebythe upper portion of the sail does not assume an efiicient curvature.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide a mountingdevice for removably attaching the upper portion of a sail to the upperend of a mast in such a manner that the upper end of the sail is notworn by contact with the mast and additionally the upper portion of thesail is retained in an efiicient curvature.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sail mountingdevice of the aforedescribed nature which is extremely simple in designand foolproof in operation.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a sailmounting device of the aforedescribed nature that is rugged ofconstruction and will provide a long service life.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a sailmounting device of the aforedescribed nature that may be manufacturedeconomically.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide asail mounting device of the aforedescribed nature utilizing a tubehaving an inside diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the upperend of the mast, with the lower end of such tube being open. The upperend of the tube is provided with radially directed means that restagainst the upper end of the mast. A pair of rearwardly directed,aligned ears extend from the rear edge of the tube with the facingsurfaces of such ears defining a space that receives the upper portionof the sail.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a sailmounting device of the aforedescribed nature which may be employed toremovably attach the foot of a sail to the free end of a mast boom.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description, when taken inconjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing a sail provided with apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view taken in enlarged scale and showing thedetails of a sail mounting device embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along lien 44 of FIGURE 3;and

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of said sail mounting device.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a sail S provided with apreferred embodiment of the present invention. The sail S is showncarried by a generally vertically extending mast 10 and a generallyhorizontal boom 12 that is pivotally attached to the lower portion ofmast 10. Both the mast 10 and boom 12 are commonly termed spars. Thefront portion of the sail S is formed with an integral sleeve 14 definedby the material from which the sail is fabricated. The upper portion ofthe sail S is provided with a headboard H embodying the presentinvention, while the lower rear portion of the sail S is provided witha'footboard F embodying the present invention. It should be understoodthat the configuration of the headboard H and the footboard F may begenerally similar.

More particularly, the headboard H includes a vertical extending splittube 20 having an inside diameter slightly larger than the outsidediameter of the upper portion of the mast 10 and the thickness of thematerial from which sleeve 14 isformed whereby such tube may freelypivot relative to the mast 10 even in the presence of the sail sleeve14. The lower end of the tube 20 is open. The upper end of the tube 20is provided with a pair of radially inwardly directed tabs 22 and 24.The underside of these tabs 22 and 24 rest against the top of the mast10 without interfering with pivotal movement of the tube 20 relative tosuch mast.

The tube 20 is open along its rear end. A pair of vertical aligned,rigid ears 26 and 28 integrally extend rearwardly from the two rearedges of the tube 20. The ears 26 and 28 are closely spaced with thefacing surfaces of such ears 26 and 28 defining a vertical space 29 thatreceives the upper portion of the sail S. Such upper sail portion isafiixed within such space as by means of a plurality of rivets 30.

In the use of the aforedescribed headboard H, with the tube 20 disposedupon the upper portion of the mast 10, the tabs 22 and 24 will maintainthe headboard H and therefore sail S upon the upper portion of the mast10 while at the same time permitting the headboard to freely pivotrelative to the mast. The ears 26 and 28 will support the upper portionof the sail S for several inches outwardly of the mast 10 to permit theupper portion of the sail to achieve a shape of maximum efiiciency.

As noted hereinbefore, the footboard F is generally similar inconstruction to the headboard H, the split tube 10' of the footboard Fbeing telescopically received by the rear end of the boom 12. It will beunderstood that the lower edge of the sail S is formed with a sleeve 32similar to the sleeve 14.

Preferably, both the headboard H and the footboard P will be of integralconstruction and formed of a cornparatively rigid synthetic plasticmaterial. Other materials, however, having comparable qualities may alsobe employed.

Various modifications and changes may be made with respect to theforegoing detailed description, Without departing from the spirit of thepresent invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A mounting device for removably attaching an extremity of a sail tothe end of a spar, comprising:

a tube having an inside diameter slightly larger than the diameter ofsaid end of said spar, one end of said tube being open;

3 radially directed retainer means extending across the end of said tubeopposite said open end to rest against said end of said spar; and a pairof laterally directed, closely spaced and aligned, rigid ears extendingfrom a longitudinal edge of said tube, the facing surfaces of said earsdefining a space that receives said extremity of said sail. 2. Amounting device as set forth in-claim 1 wherein said tube is split alongone end and said ears are integral lateral extensions of said one end.

3. A mounting device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said radiallydirected retainer means comprise a pair of tabs integrally extendingfrom the sides of the open end of said tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,054,372 9/1962 Jones 114-393,141,435 7/1964 Moifitt 11439 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLlX, Examiner.

1. A MOUNTING DEVICE FOR REMOVABLY ATTACHING AN EXTREMITY OF A SAIL TOTHE END OF A SPAR, COMPRISING: A TUBE HAVING AN INSIDE DIAMETER SLIGHTLYLARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID END OF SAID SPAR, ONE END OF SAID TUBEBEING OPEN; RADIALLY DIRECTED RETAINER MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS THE END OFSAID TUBE OPPOSITE SAID OPEN END TO REST AGAINST SAID END OF SAID SPAR;AND A PAIR OF LATERALLY DIRECTED, CLOSELY SPACED AND ALIGNED, RIGID EARSEXTENDING FROM A LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID TUBE, THE FACING SURFACES OFSAID EARS DEFINING A SPACE THAT RECEIVES SAID EXTREMITY OF SAID SAIL.